Pulseless Paradoxus: A Clue to the Presence of Cardiac Tamponade During Continuous-Flow Mechanical Circulatory Support

This letter to the editor is in response to the published article by by Akhtar et al

Exploring Russian Cyberspace: Digitally-Mediated Collective Action and the Networked Public Sphere

This paper summarizes the major findings of a three-year research project to investigate the Internet's impact on Russian politics, media and society. We employed multiple methods to study online activity: the mapping and study of the structure, communities and content of the blogosphere; an analogous mapping and study of Twitter; content analysis of different media sources using automated and human-based evaluation approaches; and a survey of bloggers; augmented by infrastructure mapping, interviews and background research. We find the emergence of a vibrant and diverse networked public sphere that constitutes an independent alternative to the more tightly controlled offline media and political space, as well as the growing use of digital platforms in social mobilization and civic action. Despite various indirect efforts to shape cyberspace into an environment that is friendlier towards the government, we find that the Russian Internet remains generally open and free, although the current degree of Internet freedom is in no way a prediction of the future of this contested space

Wind Loads on Transmission Line Structures in Simulated Downbursts

Downbursts pose a recognized threat to transmission line networks in South-east Queensland, and many other regions around the world. However, when assessing the structural adequacy of transmission line structures, design codes assume that an atmospheric boundary layer profile provide the basis of wind loading in the design process. Such assumptions may be leaving transmission networks exposed to an unquantified level of threat to a meteorological event that will likely cause the most severe loading on the structure during its lifetime. An analytical/stochastic method of simulating downburst winds has been used to explore the quasi-static loading conditions that occur during downbursts. These are presented in comparison to several existing transmission tower design codes, and the implications with regard to the structural adequacy of transmission line structures is discussed

A Selective Approach to Bleeding Esophageal Varices

It is possible that the best results of treatment for bleeding esophageal varices will come when a selective approach is used. In patients bleeding acutely and in patients with poor liver function shunt operations should be avoided, and a direct attack on the varices with either sclerosant therapy, percutaneous obliteration, or staple gun gastro-esophageal transsection should be carried out. In patients who have stopped bleeding, or those in whom elective treatment is being undertaken, the best operation at present appears to be selective distal splenorenal shunt

Social fragmentation, deprivation and urbanicity: relation to first-admission rates for psychoses

<i>Declaration</i> <i>of</i> <i>interest</i>: None. <i>Background</i>: Social disorganisation, fragmentation and isolation have long been posited as influencing the rate of psychoses at area level. Measuring such societal constructsis difficult. A census-based index measuring social fragmentation has been proposed. <i>Aims</i>: To investigate the association between first-admission rates for psychosis and area-based measures of social fragmentation, deprivation and urban/rural index. <i>Method</i>: We used indirect standardisation methods and logistic regression models to examine associations of social fragmentation, deprivation and urban/rural categories with first admissions for psychoses in Scotland for the 5-year period 1989–1993. <i>Results</i>: Areas characterised by high social fragmentation had higher first-ever admission rates for psychosis independent of deprivation and urban/rural status. There was a dose–response relationship between social fragmentation category and first-ever admission rates for psychosis. There was no statistically significant interaction between social fragmentation, deprivation and urban/rural index. <i>Conclusions</i>: First-admission rates are strongly associated with measures of social fragmentation, independent of material deprivation and urban/rural category

The Asian Grain Legume Program: Progress and outlook

The activities of the Asian Grain Legume Program (AGLP) are reported in relationship to the 8 recommendations given at the AGLP seminar in February 1986..

Agricultural Research Networks As Development Tools Views of a Network Coordinator

An Agricultural Research Network (ARNET) is a cluster of scientists or institutions linked together by a common interest in working dependently or interdependently on an identified shared problem or problems. ARNETs are popular with agricultural research scientists, administrators, and donors as tools to strengthen the research capability of national agricultural research systems (NARSs) and to identify, address, and solve farmers' problems. An effective network will overcome isolation, facilitate sharing of research information and ideas, help reduce unnecessary duplication, provide the critical mass of effort needed to give quick answers to pressing problems, and hasten scientific breakthroughs. Inappropriate reliance on networks by NARSs can over extend their scientists and upset national priorities. ARNETs have five important components: membership, research, coordination, communication, and assets that interact with each other. Networks are dynamic and responsive to changing needs in agricultural systems. There are many types of ARNETs depending on the problems that need to be addressed, the membership and its requirements, the extent of coordination available or needed, the research strategy developed, and the assets available. The author shares in this book the results of his search to understand the workings, benefits, costs, and pitfalls of networks and he provides information from his own experience and that of others to help those wishing to organize and operate ARNETs

Existence of the Bogoliubov S(g) operator for the (:ϕ4:)2(:\phi^4:)_2 quantum field theory

We prove the existence of the Bogoliubov S(g) operator for the $(:\phi^4:)_2$ quantum field theory for coupling functions $g$ of compact support in space and time. The construction is nonperturbative and relies on a theorem of Kisy\'nski. It implies almost automatically the properties of unitarity and causality for disjoint supports in the time variable.Comment: LaTeX, 24 pages, minor modifications, typos correcte